Local magazine shows stories of hope in neglected neighborhoods

A magazine in Detroit is looking to get a new perspective on the Motor City

Model D is a digital magazine that’s been covering Detroit culture, development, and lack thereof since 2005. Now the small-staffed magazine is starting a new project: starting a summer-long series based in Osborn, a community in northwest Detroit.From Model D’s Claire Nelson:

“What happens when we hang out in a Detroit neighborhood for a period of 90 days? Who will we meet? What will we learn? Can we eat enough at Capers Steakhouse to get some sort of discount?”

(Capers is an eastside joint known for selling its steaks by the ounce.)

Model D’s summer in Osborn is the first of their two-part series on neighborhoods of Detroit -- this fall, they’ll be in Brightmoor.

Both Osborn and Brightmoor haven’t caught much of a break in recent decades -- in fact, Detroit’s emergency manager Kevyn Orr planned to take creditors on a tour of Brightmoor to prove the dire conditions of the city (the bus tour since has been scrapped).

But Model D is determined to show a new side to the northwest neighborhoods: who’s shaking things up, who’s innovating, who’s developing. According to Nelson, the movers and shakers of Osborn often go unseen:

“You've heard of Dan Gilbert and Sue Mosey, right? They get a lot of media attention, yes? How many Osborn community leaders can you name?”

To find out more about what's happening in Osborn, check out Model D's series.